Brew Guide

Espresso - A delicious, romantic beverage brewed only one or two cups at a time, produced as a result of precisely heated water being forced under pressure through carefully ground and packed coffee.

(Because the grind for espresso is so fine and temperamental, we recommend using a home model espresso burr grinder in conjunction with a home model espresso machine.)

Auto Drip – The most common form of brewing coffee is the automatic drip coffee maker. Water passes through the coffee grounds, then through a flat bottom or cone filter. Usually these filters are paper, but a reusable gold filter can be used as well. The gold filter will brew a more flavorful cup since it will not absorb coffee oils like paper filters do.

French Press - Montana Coffee Traders believes the French Press or bistro is the best way to brew coffee. Ground coffee and hot water are mixed together, and a metal plunger separates the grounds from the water, leaving the brewed coffee. This is known as the infusion method. And aside from the used coffee grounds, there is no waste!

Step 1: Have your French Press and grinder clean and ready to brew. Fill desired amount of beans in grinder and grind coffee to semi coarse. We recommend you adjust proportions of coffee to water to your own taste. (If using a blade grinder, grind coffee for approximately 10 seconds.) Put ground coffee into the glass cylinder of the press.

Step 2: Heat water to 195-200 degrees and then add to ground coffee making sure to saturate all the grounds. Fill up half way and let the “foam” rise up. This “foam” is your signal that your coffee is fresh. The absence of “foam” is an indicator of stale coffee. Stir until your foam is settled, then fill water to the top.

Step 3: Put plunger in the French Press. Let coffee steep for four minutes.

Step 4: Gently push the plunger to the bottom. After you fill your cup, you should pour remaining coffee in a thermos to keep it hot.

Step 5: Sit back, relax, and enjoy the best cup of coffee that you have ever had.

Step 6: Wash your French Press with soap and water. Wipe the inside of your grinder with a damp rag to clean out coffee oils that will go rancid.

Cold Brew Concentrate - People love the smoothness of cold-brewed coffee, also known as toddy coffee, because it yields a very low acid content. This coffee is made by pouring cold water over coarsely ground coffee and letting it steep for 10-12 hours. Then drain the coffee concentrate through a thick felt filter, and your cold-brewed coffee is ready to drink over ice or heated. Enjoy!